Average surf forecasted for Mavericks

Updated 11:24 pm, Friday, January 18, 2013

Surfers were dwarfed by waves at Mavericks in 2010 and even carefully avoided some monster curls with faces up to 60 feet. Sunday's forecast is for manageable sets roughly half as tall.

Surfers were dwarfed by waves at Mavericks in 2010 and even carefully avoided some monster curls with faces up to 60 feet. Sunday's forecast is for manageable sets roughly half as tall.

Photo: Adam Lau, The Chronicle

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Support crews react to Grant "Twiggy" Baker's ride in the fifth heat. Surfers from around the globe braved the 50-foot-high swells at Mavericks Surf Contest in Half Moon Bay, Calif., on Saturday, February 13, 2010. Chris Bertish of South Africa was selected the winner. less

Support crews react to Grant "Twiggy" Baker's ride in the fifth heat. Surfers from around the globe braved the 50-foot-high swells at Mavericks Surf Contest in Half Moon Bay, Calif., on Saturday, February 13, ... more

Photo: Carlos Avila Gonzalez, The Chronicle

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Kenny Collins rides a wave in the third heat. Surfers from around the globe braved the 50-foot-high swells at Mavericks Surf Contest in Half Moon Bay, Calif., on Saturday, February 13, 2010. Chris Bertish of South Africa was selected the winner. less

Kenny Collins rides a wave in the third heat. Surfers from around the globe braved the 50-foot-high swells at Mavericks Surf Contest in Half Moon Bay, Calif., on Saturday, February 13, 2010. Chris Bertish of ... more

Photo: Carlos Avila Gonzalez, The Chronicle

Average surf forecasted for Mavericks

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When the Mavericks big-wave contest was last held, in February of 2010, repercussions were felt throughout the surfing world. The biggest sets roared through with faces up to 60 feet. Even with so much glory at stake, surfers occasionally backed off taking the drop, fearing it was just too risky. By all accounts, it was easily one of the two or three most significant paddle-in contests ever held.

That's not going to be the case this time.

It's going to be a beautiful Sunday off the coast of Half Moon Bay, a fabulous day for big-wave surfing, but this will be a relatively ordinary Mavericks swell in terms of size. The latest prediction from reliable Bay Area forecaster Mark Sponsleris for open-ocean waves of "7.9 feet at 19-second intervals, translating to 30-foot faces, holding throughout the day."

This is a downgrade from Sponsler's earlier forecast of 10 feet at 19 seconds, and as he wrote on his stormsurf.com website, anticipate "long waits between sets, with 3-4 waves per set. Some sets arriving bigger than expected."

There will be few complaints from the surfers, who rarely get to surf Mavericks in the type of gorgeous weather expected for Sunday. There will definitely be moments to remember and, if Mavericks holds true to form, the sight of world-renowned surfers getting caught inside those "sneaker" sets.

Time to show up

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